Thursday, March 4, 2010

SUNDAY MISCELLANY - FINALLY

There are many of us, writing away in our own homes, most days of the week because that is what we love to do. We write stories, start (and some of us finish) novels and muse about life in general. We write because it is what we do.

But many of us, your truly included, resist calling ourselves writers because we have not had anything published yet. So we down play our writing. We mutter "well, I dabble a bit with writing", or "when I have time, I scribble bits and pieces". But if we write then we are writers. But few of us believe that. We feel we are not writers until someone, be it a publisher, newspaper, magazine or radio station says 'we like what you have written and we would like to use it.' Wow - what a difference that makes. There is nothing like professional recognition of your words to suddenly make you feel that you might actually be a writer after all. Coupled with the knowledge that this will lead to many people being able to read/hear your carefully crafted words is the completion of the process. Writers write to be read.

Over the last two years or so, I have sent in a few submissions to Sunday Miscellany which is a programme which is broadcast on Sunday mornings on the national broadcaster, RTE Radio 1. So far I have had no success. But on Wednesday the email that all of us 'writers' love to get landed into my inbox. Yep - the very one that says "we like what you have written and we would like to use it" and the great thing about radio is that you get a chance to record your work yourself.

So my turn finally arrived today and off I went in to Radio Centre in Donnybrook to record my piece which is called 'Dad and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance'. The process was fun and very enjoyable. But most important of all, it made me feel like a real writer!

So - if you are in Ireland still lounging in the bed on Sunday morning, tune into RTE Radio 1 just after the 9am news and have a listen. I hope my Dad likes it. It's a fitting and affectionate memory of a man whose 8th anniversary occurs the day beforehand.

The text of my radio essay, Dad and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance is now up on my creative writing blog My Word Songs